hopeless foodie: Quick Bites: Las Arepas de Julia

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Quick Bites: Las Arepas de Julia

Sorry, I couldn't resist taking a couple of bites of Arepa De Choclo before taking the photo

Maybe it's because I've been feeling a little homesick for South Florida lately, but I've been craving arepas (a South American griddled corn cake popular in Venezuela and Colombia). I tried my first arepas at the Opa-Locka-Hialeah flea market years ago and loved them. When searching for a place to satisfy my craving, the first place that popped up in the search engine was Las Arepas de Julia in Lilburn. I recently stopped by to sample their specialty.

This small Colombian restaurant offers several varieties of arepas including a version with shrimp and guacamole. Easily my favorite among the arepas I tried was the Arepa de Choclo, a sweet yellow corn cake with queso blanco. The char from the griddle gives this arepa an almost nutty, sweet flavor that is delicious. I also tried the Arepa Blanca (a white corn flour arepa smothered in melted queso blanco) and an Arepa Blanca topped with a humongous breaded pork cutlet. I couldn't finish the latter (huge portion), but the Arepa Blanca was quite good. In addition to arepas, the menu also includes Sopa de Mondongo (a tripe soup) and Bandeja Paisa. I was unable to try their Tres Leches cake for dessert (they were sold out) so I settled for Brevas con Arequipe y Queso: four plump figs in a sweet syrup served with arequipe (a Colombian version of Dulce de Leche) and farmer's cheese. The slightly salty flavor of the cheese mingled with the sweet figs and arequipe are a nice combo. I would definitely make a return visit.